1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to an improved throttle valve actuator unit for an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a known throttle valve actuator unit (German Patent Disclosure DE 195 25 510 A1), also known as an electronic throttle control or ETC, a drive chamber is formed in the throttle valve neck, through which neck a gas conduit carrying air or a fuel-air mixture extends; the drive chamber is closed with a plastic cap and contains a drive motor, a reducing gear connecting the motor to the throttle valve shaft, and a connection plug for connecting the throttle valve actuator unit to an electric control unit. The connection plug is embodied on the plasticcap. The throttle valve actuator unit has customer-specific characteristics with regard to the diameter of the throttle valve neck, the dimensions of the securing flange on the throttle valve neck, and the embodiment of the connection plug, and so special production tools must be kept on hand for every customer; some of these tools are quite expensive, and therefore considerably increase the production costs for the throttle valve actuator unit.
A transition has therefore already been made to a modular system, with which graduated diameter variants for the throttle valve neck and the flange dimensions can be offered to customers with one small and one large model series, each of which is offered with two different connection plugs; this accordingly meets the majority of customer-specific characteristics. However, for each type of one model series, its own tool is required. Each plug variant must also be provided with its own tool for the plastic cap, in both the large and the small model series.